By Shruti Pushkarna
Festivities are in the air. Weddings, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Chhath Puja, it’s an action-packed November. Events that people bring people together, closely celebrating and exchanging happy moments. Also, events with a substantial economic impact, especially opulent Indian weddings. This year, the business from Indian weddings alone is estimated to be worth $51 billion.
I was part of a recent week-long celebration with close family and friends in a big fat Punjabi wedding. Away from home, tucked in a resort on the outskirts of the capital, we created memorable moments of joy. The organisers, hotel and event partners carefully crafted four distinctly themed events, vibrant with colours, music and dance.
I was awestruck by the grandeur of the venue, the décor, and the variety of food on offer. Except there was one hiccup. Access. For someone on a wheelchair or someone with ageing knees, the venue was partially inaccessible.
One of the sections had a stair-only access, with no ramp, and no elevator. My mother who was suitably decked up for her dearest niece’s wedding, had to be lifted by four staff members (very willing to help), to get to the stage area. And this was done several times as she wheeled in and out of her room to attend the various festivities. I also noticed elderly family members on both sides, finding it troublesome to go up and down the long-winding staircases.
This hotel, like most others, was packed with wedding bookings through the season. Two or three simultaneous arrangements were underway. There was no dearth of money being made. And the crew was quite hospitable. But when it comes to accessibility, it didn’t seem to be a priority. There was a ramp at the entrance and one at another outdoor section of the venue. But nothing that was suitably built for ease of access. It was not in sync with the prescribed guidelines.
The bathrooms too were inaccessible for someone confined to a wheelchair, making me wonder if only ‘fit and normal’ people are expected to attend joyous celebrations.
Of course, since one is used to the lack of access, we had quick responses ready for each of the barriers. Nothing could prevent us from having a good time! But I wondered how people who were less experienced and less prepared than us, managed to navigate the space with its set of challenges.
It also reminded me of the frustration experienced by model and activist, Virali Modi, at her own wedding last month. In a series of social media posts that instantly went viral, Virali shared her ordeal as she was lifted ‘like a piece of luggage’ up two flights of stairs, so she could get married at the Mumbai Registrar office in Khar. There was no lift or ramp, and the officer refused to come downstairs for her signatures on the documents.
PLEASE RT!
I am disabled and I got married at the Registrars Office at Khar Mumbai on 16/10/23. The office was on the 2nd floor WITHOUT a lift. They wouldn’t come downstairs for the signatures and I had to be carried up two flights of stairs to get married. pic.twitter.com/ZNCQF3gJRY
— Virali Modi (@Virali01) October 18, 2023
The most precious moment of her life turned into an exasperating one, because the infrastructure in the country is built overlooking the needs of millions of persons with disabilities. Virali also highlighted in one of her posts that this could be equally disgruntling for someone who had a fall or a temporary difficulty walking up the stairs.
As she posted pictures citing the steep stairway and rusty railings, I recalled every single time when the lift in our housing society broke down and my mother was left with no choice but to be riskily transported three floors up on a plastic chair as her wheelchair won’t leave any room for turning.
Why should anyone go through such fearful and undignified experience for a regular excursion out of home? I have seen individuals and business owners finding it hard to understand different forms of access for persons with different types of disabilities. But when comes to wheelchairs, it’s fairly easily comprehended.
In fact, if one were to ask a non-disabled person, what they picture when they think of a disabled person, the response is likely a wheelchair, crutch, or a walking stick. And the most implemented accessibility solutions, are ramps and elevators.
Wheelchairs are frequently depicted in media, advertising, and cultural representations when discussing or portraying disability. This visibility reinforces the connection between wheelchairs and disability in the public consciousness.
And yet, such huge gaps exist in both private and public infrastructure. How come the average Indian citizen is unfazed at a wedding or any other social setting, where one or two people face restricted participation?
Wheelchairs are commonly associated with disability because they are a mobility aid designed to assist individuals who have difficulty walking or cannot walk at all due to various physical impairments. The wheelchair is a device that enhances mobility, making it one of the most visible symbols of disability.
For many people with mobility impairments, wheelchairs represent a means of gaining independence and maintaining an active lifestyle. They allow individuals to move around and participate in various activities, both indoors and outdoors, without relying on assistance from others.
And yet, most news headlines reporting Viral Modi’s harassment at the registrar’s office, termed her as a person who is ‘wheelchair bound’!
One wonders if it’s the cost of removing barriers of access that prevents inclusion or the deterring societal mindset towards the invisible majority of persons with disabilities, including those with permanent, temporary and age-related impairments.
Wondering why MxMIndia publishes a disability advocacy column? Well, we strongly feel that the media can dramatically transform the world for persons with disabilities. This series attempts to help bring forth issues that the media must champion to create a truly inclusive and accessible India. Writing this column is Shruti Pushkarna, a former journalist and now a disability inclusion advocate based in New Delhi. Her views here are personal. To access the archives of her 80-odd columns, please visit: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/ columns/shruti-pushkarna/
If you have a view on the issues raise or would like to align with MxMIndia on this cause, write to us at editor [at] mxmindia.com.